When it comes to fake news and extreme ideas and positions, do you have any advice on how we can effectively debunk those lies or distorted truths that others in our lives hold to be true? What can we do to help reduce the difference between us and them? There's a lot of research on this and it's fascinating. And I'm sure you've heard already spoken about the illusion of explanatory depth. But let me share that as one great strategy because I love this story. It's the idea that often the people who hold the strongest views are the most passionate about something when asked, well, how do tax policies to cut carbon emissions really work?"
Why does disagreement feel so personal? According to author, journalist, and physician Seema Yasmin, it’s because beliefs aren’t just about what we think, they’re about who we are.
“What [people] believe is entrenched in them, and it’s to do with their sense of belonging and their sense of identity,” says Yasmin. Whether we’re butting heads over something trivial like sports or something major like COVID-19 vaccines, Yasmin points out that the disagreement is just the surface — underneath are complex layers of geopolitics, history, language, dialect, culture, faith, family history, and power hierarchies.
So how do we show compassion to others, especially when we disagree with them? Yasmin and host Matt Abrahams explore strategies for more empathetic communication in this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart.
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